Preventing and Treating
Conduct Problems in
Young Children (ages 2-8 years)
The Incredible Years Programs
Prevalence of Young Children with
Emotional and Behavioral Problems
●
46% of kindergarten teachers reported half
their students lacked self-regulatory skills to
function productively in kindergarten
Trajectories of Physical Aggression
Physical Aggression
Curves
6
Frequency
Aggression
5
Little Aggression
Some Aggression
Modest Aggression
High Aggression
4
3
2
1
0
1
3
10
15
Age in Years
20
30
Reproduced with permission from Tremblay et al (2003)
Why Improve Social and Emotional
Health in Young Children?
Children with emotional and
behavioral difficulties (aggression)
are at high risk for
underachievement, school
drop out, delinquency,
violence and substance abuse.
Child Biological Risk Factors
for Conduct Problems
Hyperactivity/attention & impulsivity
problems
● Social skills, problem-solving deficits
● Academic/learning/language delays
● Negative emotionality
●
Family & Environmental
Risk Factors for Conduct Problems
Parent personal and interpersonal problems
(depression, marital discord)
● Family history of criminal behavior, substance
abuse
● Family Disruption (adoption, foster care, divorce)
● Inconsistent, harsh, or neglecting parenting skills
● Low parental school involvement
● High levels of stressors--poverty
●
School Risk Factors Related to
Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties
• Ineffective classroom management
• Poor home-school connections
• High student-teacher ratio
• High overall levels of classroom aggression
• Peer rejection
• Low emphasis on instruction in social and
emotional skills
The Earlier the Intervention
the Better
• Early intervention has a greater chance of
preventing later academic and social problems
because it prevents the cascading of
cumulating risk factors
• At early ages (3-8 years) behavior is more
malleable
• Treatment in adolescence is more difficult and
more costly
The Incredible Years
Training Series
Teacher
Program
Child
Dinosaur
Program:
Treatment
BASIC
Parent
Program
Ages 2-8 years
Child
Dinosaur
Program:
Classroom
ADVANCE
Parent
Program
ACADEMIC
Parent
Program
The Incredible Years
Parenting Program Methods
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Group Format
Empirically validated
14-22 Weekly Sessions
Two-hour sessions
Usually led by two therapists
Prevention and treatment models
Support for effectiveness with culturally
diverse populations
• Three-day leader training
• Consultation recommended
The Incredible Years Training Series
3/00
The Incredible Years
Parenting Program Methods
• Focus on cognitive, behavior, & affect
• Developmentally based
• Emphasis on therapeutic relationship:
“collaborative process”
• Coping (vs. Mastery model)
• Videotaped modeling
• Role play & rehearsal
• Home assignments
• Group support
The Incredible Years Training Series
3/00
Incredible Years Parent Program
(BASIC & ADVANCE)
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How to play with your child
The art of effective praising
Motivating children through rewards
Effective limit setting
Handling misbehavior
Adult Communication Skills
Problem-solving For Parents
Problem-solving with Children
The Incredible Years Training Series
3/00
Measuring Effectiveness
• Randomized control designs
• Independent observations at home and at
school
• Parent report
• Teacher report
• Peer observations
• Child testing
Incredible Years Parent Program Effectiveness
for Children with Conduct Problems
7 Randomized Control Group Evaluations by Developer
6 Replications by independent researchers
• Increases in positive parenting
•Decreases in harsh discipline
•Increases in family communication
& problem solving
•Reductions in parental stress & depression
•Reductions in conduct problems
•Increases in child cooperation &
positive affect
The Incredible Years Training Series
3/00
Incredible Years Parent Program
Effectiveness as Prevention
4 randomized control group evaluations by developer
5 replications by independent researchers
•Increases in positive parenting
•Decreases in harsh discipline
•Increases in parent involvement
in school
•Reductions in conduct problems for
children in the clinical range
The Incredible Years Training Series
3/00
Incredible Years
For information on
research, training,
and program content:
www.incredibleyears.com
The Incredible Years Training Series
3/00